Acids, bases and salts

1. Acids and bases

 Acid
 An acid is a substance that produces hydrogen ions when dissolved in water
o Has a sour taste
o Turns blue litmus paper red
o Turns Universal Indicator red/ orange/ yellow
 Base
 A base is a substance that accepts hydrogen ions when reacting with an acid
 Alkalis are soluble bases
o Has a bitter taste and soppy feel
o Produces hydroxide ions when dissolved in water
o Turns Universal Indicator blue/ violet
 pH
 pH of a solution is based on the relative concentration of hydrogen or hydroxide
ions present in the solution
 The universal indicator is a mixture of dyes that changes color depending on the
pH
 By comparing against a pH colour chart, the hydrogen/ hydroxide ions
concentration or relative acidity/ alkalinity can be determined
 Strength of acid
 A strong acid completely dissociates when dissolved in water to produce
hydrogen ions
 A weak acid partially dissociates when dissolved in water to produce hydrogen
ions, leaving some acid molecules undissociated in the solution
 Reaction of acids
 React with metals to from hydrogen and a salt
o Metal + acid  salt + hydrogen
 React with carbonates to form a salt, carbon dioxide and water
o Carbonate + acid  salt + water + carbon dioxide
 React with bases to from a salt and water (neutralization)
o Base + acid  salt + water
o Ionic : H+ + OH-  H2O
 Uses of acids
 Sulfuric acid
o Make detergents
o Make fertilizers
o Used in car batteries
 Reaction of bases

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  React with acids to from a salt and water (neutralization)
o Base + acid  salt + water
o Ionic : H+ + OH-  H2O
 React with ammonium salts, when heated, to produce ammonia gas and salt
o Alkali + ammonium salt  ammonia + water + salt
 pH of soils
 They affect the growth and development of plants
o Too acidic soil would prevent plant growth
 pH controlled by adding bases, like quicklime (calcium oxide) and slaked lime
(calcium hydroxide), to raise the pH of acidic soils
o Alkalis/ aqueous alkalis are not used as they seep into the soil as raise
the ph by too much
 Oxides
 Acidic
o Are non-metal oxides
o Most dissolve readily in water to give acids
o React with alkalis to give salt and water
o Uses of sulfur dioxide
 As a beaching agent in manufacturing of paper (bleaches wood
pulp)
 As a food preservative, as it is a disinfectant (Kills bacteria)
 Basic
o Are metal oxides
o Most are insoluble in water. Those that do are called alkalis
o Solids at room temperature
o React with acids to give salt and water
 Amphoteric
o Are metallic oxides that react with both acids and bases to from salts
and water
 Aluminum, Lead(II), Zinc
 Neutral
o Are non-metal oxides that do not react with acids or bases
o Are insoluble in water
o Water, Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen monoxide
2. Salts
 Salts are ionic compounds that is formed when a metallic/ ammonium ions replaces one
or more hydrogen ions of a acid (when acid reacts with base)
 Preparation of salts
 Precipitation
o Used to prepare insoluble salts

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 o React two soluble reactants with desired cation and anion
o Filter and wash with distilled water to obtain the salt
 Acid neutralization
o Used to prepare soluble salts (not Group 1 or ammonium salts)
o React an acid with excess metal/ carbonates/ base
o Filter the mixture, collecting the filtrate
o Obtain the salt by crystallisation
 Titration
o Used to prepare Group 1 and ammonium salts
o Place a fixed volume of acid in a conical flask, and some alkali in a
burette.
o Add indicator to acid and add alkali drop by drop, while swirling the
flask, till the indicator just changes colour
o Record the volume of alkali needed, and repeat without indicator
o Obtain salt by crystallisation
 Solubility of salts
 All nitrates are soluble
 All chloride, except silver and lead, are soluble
 All sulfates, except calcium, barium and lead, are soluble
 All hydroxides/ oxides, except Group1, ammonium, aluminum, barium and
calcium , are insoluble
 All carbonates, except Group1 and ammonium, are insoluble
3. Ammonia
 Manufacture of ammonia
 Nitrogen, from fractional distillation of liquid air, and hydrogen, from cracking of
crude oil, are needed
 They react in a reversible reaction
o N2 + 3 H2  2 NH3
o A reversible reaction means that the forward and reversed reaction are
occurring simultaneously , until the equilibrium mixture of reactants and
products is reached
 Conditions
 450oC, 250 atm, catalyst of finely divided iron
 Increase in temperature lowers yield, increase rate
 Increase in pressure increases both yield and rate
 Displacement of ammonia
 Ammonia gas is produced when heating an ammonium salt with a base

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